Different Cuts of Lumber: Plain, Quarter, and Rift Sawn Wood

When it comes to choosing the hardwood to build McClure’s handcrafted shuffleboard tables and butcher block products, there are three standard cuts of lumber offered at most lumberyards.

Between plain sawn, quarter sawn, and rift sawn wood, different cuts of lumber can vary significantly when it comes to grain pattern, durability, yield, and price. At McClure, we routinely work with all three cuts of lumber and are providing an in-depth look at the varying qualities and how each type of cut is sawn and produced.

High Yield – Least Expensive

Plain-sawn wood, also referred to as flat-sawn, is typically the most common cut of lumber. Because plain sawn lumber is cut straight from end to end of a log, this type of cut yields more wood than any other, making it the most affordable variety of wood. Plain-sawn wood is also the fastest to produce as it is sliced directly through the center.

The grain of plain-sawn lumber is defined by the circular rings of the lumber, which create a cathedral pattern. This type of grain, referred to as tangential grain, is not as structurally sound as the others and plain-sawn lumber has a higher chance of warping or twisting than quarter or rift-sawn wood.

Medium Yield – More Expensive Than Plain Sawn

Quarter-sawn wood is made by cutting a log into four quarters, which are then plain sawn diagonally. The resulting planks have a sturdy, linear grain pattern, though quarter sawing does create more waste than plain-sawn lumber. Because it is more difficult to cut than plain-sawn wood and yields less product, quarter-sawn wood is also more expensive than plain-sawn lumber.

The grain of quarter-sawn lumber is intended to be perpendicular to the face of the board, which offers strong stability and durability.

Low Yield – Most Expensive

Though it is the most expensive cut of lumber and yields less wood than other cuts, rift-sawn wood is the most stable type of lumber available. Rift-sawn wood is cut along the radius of the log, or at right angles to the tree’s rings.

When it comes to rift-sawn lumber, the tree’s rings are meant to be 45 degrees to the face of the board; those in the rings typically range between 30 and 60 degrees. This grain, also referred to as radial grain, offers more structural support than both quarter and plain-sawn wood.

Because the majority of McClure’s handcrafted shuffleboard tables and butcher block furniture are made from planks glued face-to-face, many of the products use plain-sawn lumber to save our customers' costs while still offering superior stability and a variety of vibrant grain patterns after the glue-up. However, McClure’s expert woodworkers have experience working with all three types of lumber and can build any product in the requested cut upon request.

Looking for a handcrafted shuffleboard table or premium butcher block furniture made by woodworkers who select every individual plank by hand? Contact us today to see and feel the McClure Tables difference for yourself.